Railway switch apparatus



July 14, 1931. 7 w. M. GRAY 1,814,307

RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYJuly 14, 1931. w. M. GRAY 1,814,307

RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORBY M ATTORN EY July 14, 1931. w. M. GRAY RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS sShetsSheet 5 Filed Oct. 19, 1 29 switch apparatus Patented July 14, 1931UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALLACE M. GRAY, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN VALVE .AITD METER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO,A CORPORATION OF OHIO RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS Application filed October19, 1929. Serial No. 400,924.

This invention relates to improvements in railway switch apparatus. Oneof its objects is to provide improved switch apparatus adapted to yieldwhen forced by a a locomotive or other rolling stock and to indicate onthe switch target that the switch has been forced and requires to berestored to operative condition before being again used.

Another object is to provide an improved which having been forced cannot be tampered with to force the switch points back into position orrendered operative or apparently operative except by replacing theyieldable member in the prescribed manner of restoring the switch tooperative condition. Another object is to provide an improved switchapparatus having a breakable member and a bendable member interposedbetween the switch lever and the switch both adapted to yield when theswitch is forced. Another object is to provide in combination with aswitch and switch actuating lever, a target adapted to indicate thenormal position of the switch and also the position of a switch whichhas been forced, and means interposed between the switch actuating leverand the switch adapted when the switch has been forced to lock theswitch points and target against movement in either direction until theswitch is restored to operative condition in a prescribed manner.

Another object is to provide improved means to manually actuate aswitch, and to latch the switch and target in position to indicate thatthe switch has been forced until the switch has been restored to normaloperative condition in a prescribed manner. My invention also comprisescertain details of form and arrangement, and combination of components,all of which will be fully set forth in the description of theaccompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a plan of a railway switch and switch stand embodying myimprovements.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of the switch stand partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the normal breakable and bendablemembers detached. 5

Fig. 4; is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing the relation of the partsafter one end of the breakable member has been fractured and thebendable member associated therewith has been bent.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the switch lever in itsopposite position and the position of the parts after the switch hasbeen forced.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the switch actuating means shown inFigs. 2 and 5. r

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the switch actuating lever detached.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a stop member carried by the switchactuating shaft.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the switch actuating lever and switch actuatingshaft, with the breakable and bendable members in normal position.

Switch apparatus as heretofore employed, particularly in switch yards isliable to be and frequently is run through in a reverse direction orforced, by the rolling stock, in which event some part of the switch orswitch actuating apparatus yields, allowing the switch points to moveout of the way of the wheel flanges. Such forcing of the switchheretofore failed to move the switch target or to otherwise indicate toapproaching trainmen that the switch had been forced and renderedinoperative, and was liable to result in a second attempt of rollingstock to pass the switch, which would probably result in derailing therolling stock. My improved apparatus is adapted to yield when the switchis forced and permit the switch points to move to an intermediateposition, and to cause the switch target to move to an intermediateposition to thereby indicate that the switch has been forced, and alsoto latch the switch points and the target in each direction in theirintermediate position taken when forced until the switch has beenrestored to operative condition in a prescribed manner by replacing theyielding member with a new one.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of my invention inwhich 15 rep-' resents the main rails, 16' the switch points, and 17 thehousing of a switch stand. The switch stand is mounted rigidly upon twoThe hub 36 of cross-ties 18 and 19, and is provided with a verticallymounted and journaled crankshaft 20, and a horizontally journaled shaft21 upon which is loosely journaled an actuating lever 22. Latch members24 and 25 are mounted upon the respective cross-ties 18 and 19', and areadapted to engage and latch the actuating lever 22 at oppositeextremities of its movement to the cross-ties 1,8?ancli19:'"Aicra1mia26mti the lower end of the shaft 20ubelow the switch housing17.is pivotally connected to one end of a link or connecting rod 27. Theopposite end of the link 27 is pivotally connected at 28 to the end of aspacing bar 29 which is attached rigidly to the respective switch points16, and serves to shiftsaid switch points as a unit to and from therespective main rails 15. The upper end of the shaft 20 extends above.the switchhousing and has mounted uponthe upper end thereof .a target30, whichindicates' to the trainmen at a distance the position of theswitch. At night a coloredsignal lantern-is adapted to be mounted uponthe'upper end of 'the shaft 20 to indicate at a distance the position ofthe switch. The shaft 20 is adaptednormally to be rocked one-fourth of arevolution or ninety degrees, and when the switch is forced by rollingstock, the shaft 20 is movedapproximately one-eighth of a revolution orforty-five degrees. 1

Within the switch housing the shaft 20 is provided with a segment of abeveled gear 32 which meshes with apinion 33 on the shaft 21. The shaft21 is ournaled in a journalbox 34 in the switch housing 17, and outsideof the housing 17 a flange 35 is keyed or otherwise rigidly attachedto-the shaft 21. the actuating lever 22 is loose ly journaledupon theshaft 21 adjacent, to the face of theflange' 35. The flange 35 has aprojection 37 projecting from the face thereof into the path of travelof the actuating lever 22. Outside of the hub 36 the shaft 21 isprovided with a forked head 38, having perforations through the forkedends thereof for the passage of a bolt 89.; The lever 22lis providedwith a rigidly mounted projecting. pin 40..

The actuating lever 22 is operatively clutched or connected to the shaft21 b means of a' bendable and breakable link or connecting membercomprising a cast metal orbreakable member 41 which has an eye 45' toseat upon the pin 40, and'asection 42 to be rigidly and-'detachablyclamped in the slot or recess of the forkedhead38 bymeans of thebolt'39. ,Themember 41 has a neck or reduced cross section- 43 topredetermine the point at which the member 41 willbe fra'ctured whensubjectedto excessive strain. A bendable member 44 of'low carbon steelor similar materialfwhich-will bend in preference to being; fractured"when excessively strained has its opposite ends rigidly attached to thebreakable member 41 at opposite sides respectively of the neck 43, asfor instance by having the ends of the member 44 placed so as to extendinto the mold so as to cast the member 41 with the ends of the member 44embedded rigidly therein. As illustrated the bendable and breakablemembers are cast double, that is with two necks 43;:two eyes45, and twobendable members 44 in one structure, so, that in the event of one ofthe members 41 being fractured at its neck 43, and its accompanyingmember 44 bent as indicated for instance in Fig. 4, the bendable a'ndbreakable structure may be reversed in position relative to the head 38and the opposite eye 45 engaged with the pin of the actuating lever 22,which may be done by detaching the bolt 39 and reversing the position ofthe member 42, after which the bolt 39 is replaced and the lever 22 isagain operatively connected to the shaft 21.

In practice either one or the other set of signals 30 normally stands atright angles to the line of vision of approaching. trainmen indicated byan-arrow in Fig. 1, one position of the target indicating, by the colorgreen for instance, thatthe switch is open along the through track,and'the siding is closed, while the other position, indicated by thecolor red forinstance, indicates that the through track is closed andthe siding is open. An operator may throw the actuating lever 22 to rockthe shafts 21 and 20 and throw the switch by hand without liabilityoffracturing the member 41 or bending the member 44' and said membershave sufiicient strength to hold theswitch points to either position ofadjustment. j

When the switch is forced, by the passage of rolling stock in thewrongdirection through the switch, an excessive strain is put upon theshafts 20 and 21 suflicient to fracture the member 41 at its neck-48,and thereafter to bend the member 44, thereby permitting the shaft 21 torotate approximately 9.0 degrees and the shaft 20 to rotateapproximately degrees, or one-half oftheir normal rocking movement,which is sufficient to permit the rolling stock to passthe switch. Thisone-eighth rotation of the shaft 20 is suflicient to shift thetarget toa position midway of its two normal positions, see Fig. 5, so as to showboth colors at the same time to approaching trainmen, and to therebyindicate by the position offthe target and also by; the positionof theswitch points that the switch has been forced and requires to berestored to operative condition before the' a further passage ofrolling'stock. The bends able member being substantially nonresilient, bendsunder the excessive strain of, the switch being forced, and after thestrain is released the bendable member does not spring back but holdsthe switch points to the position to which they have been moved by therolling stock, and holds the target to the midway position to'which thetarget has 5 been moved, to insure that the trainmen are notifiedtherebyand come to and restore the switch to operative position beforeattempting to pass the switch, and thereby prevent a derailing accident.lVhile the switch is being forced by rolling stock the lever 22 beinglatched to its position by one of the latch members 24 or 25, does notmove, he breakable member 41 yields by fracture and then the bendablemember 44 yields by bending which permits the shaft 21 to rotate andwith it the flange 35 and projection 37 rotate until the forward edge ofthe projection 37 reaches and engages the face of the lever 22, whichlimits the extent to which the member 44 may be bent and the extent towhich the shaft 21 may be rockedwith'the lever '22 latched in position,with the result that after the switch has been forced, the switch pointsand also the target are latched against movement in either directionuntil the trainmen remove the fractured and bent members and replace thesame to restore the switch to operative condition. The switch mechanismmay therefore be relied upon positively to show by the position of itstarget that the switch has been forced, and rendered inoperative, and isnot liable to be tamperediwith in any unauthorized manner to indicatethat the switch is in operative condition when it is not in fact inoperative condition. My improvements are adapted to be readily appliedto switch apparatus'heretofore installed and now in use.

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerablemodification within the scope of the claims without departing from thespirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to-normally hold a switch at oppositeextremities of its ad ustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated bythe movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, atarget adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, and meansinterposed between said actuating lever and crank shaft adapted to yieldunder abnormal strain for a fraction of a normal throw of the switch andto retain connection with and control over the switch and target toprevent a full normal throw of either.

2. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold a swltch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated bythe movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, atarget adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, meansinterposed between said actuating'lever and crank shaft adapted to yieldunder abnormal strain for a fraction of a normal throw of the switch andtarget and allow said target to move to a position to indicate that theswitch has been forced, and means to retain connection with and controlover the target to prevent movement thereof until the switch is restoredto operative condition.

3. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated bythe movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, atarget adapted'to indicate the position of said crank shaft, and meansinterposed between said actuating lever and the switch adapted to yieldunder abnormal strain for a. fraction of a normal throw of the switchand to retain connection with and control over the switch and target toprevent a full normal throw of either.

4. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated bythe movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, .atarget adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, meansinterposed between said actuating lever and switch adapted to yieldunder abnormal strain for a fraction of a normal throw of the switch andallow said target to move to a position to indicate that the switch hasbeen forced, and means connecting said target with said actuating leverand adapted to controlthe movements of said target and prevent a reversemovement of said target until the switch has been restored to opera tivecondition.

5. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a

switch, transmitting mechanism interposed between said switch and saidactuating lever, a target operable in unison with the movements of saidswitch to indicate the position of the switch, and means interposedbetween the switch and said actuating lever adapted to maintainconnection between the target and actuating lever and control over themovements of the target and toyield under abnormal strain by bending toallow the target to move to a position to indicate that the switch hasbeen forced, and retaining the target in such position until the switchhas been restored to operative condition.

6. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a switch, transmitting mechanisminterposed between said switch and said actuating lever,

a target operable in unison with the move ments of said switch toindicate the position of the switch, and a combined breakable andbendable member interposed between the switch and said actuating leveradapted to partly fracture and partly bend when the switch. is forcedand permit said target to move independently of said actuating lever toa position to indicatethe extent to which the switch has been forced.

7. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a switch, transmitting mechanisminterposed between said switch and said actuating lever, a targetoperable in unison with the movements of said switch to indicate theposition of the switch, a combined breakable and bendable memberinterposed between the switch and said actuating lever adapted to partlyfracture and partly bend when the switch is forced and permit saidtarget to move independently of said actuating lever to a position toindicate the extent to which the switch has been forced, and means toprevent a reverse movement of said target until the switch is restoredto operative condition.

8. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated bythe movement of said actuating. lever to actuate and hold said switch, atarget adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, and acombined breakable and bendable member detachably interposed as acoupling member between said actuating lever and said crank shaft andadapted to partly break and partly bend when the switch is forced andpermit said target to move independently of said actuating lever to aposition to indicate that said switch has been forced.

9. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuatedbythe movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, atarget adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, and acombined breakable and bendable member detachably interposed as acoupling member between said actuating lever and said crank shaft andadapted to partly break and partly bend when the switch is forced andpermit said target to move independently of said actuating lever to aposition to indicate that said switch has been forced, and means adaptedto prevent a reversemovement of said target until the switch is restoredto operative condition, I

10. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating leveradapted to be latched in position to normally hold aswitch at oppositeextremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated bythe movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, atarget adapted to indicate the position ofsaid crank shaft, and acombined breakable and bendable member detachably interposed as acoupling member between saidactuating lever and said crank shaft andadapted to partly break and partly bend when the switch is forced, andpermit said target to move independently of said actuating lever to aposition to indicate that said switch has been forced, and means movablein unison with said crank shaft adapted to engage said actuating leverand prevent a reverse movement of said target until the switch isrestored to operative condition.

11. Railway switch actuating mechanism comprising a pair of switchpoints, an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normallyhold said switch points at either extremity of their adjustment, andtransmitting and locking means interposed between said actuating leverand said switch points continuously retaining control over the movementsof said switch points and adapted to yield under abnormal strain due totheswitch being forced, to thereby permit the switch points to move toan intermediate position, and serving to thereupon lock said switchpoints against subsequent movement under normal strains from saidintermediate position in either direction.

12. Railway switch actuating mechanism comprising a pair of switchpoints, an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normallyhold said switch points at either extremity of their adjustment, andtransmitting and locking mechanism interposed between said actuatinglever and said switch points continuously retaining control over themovements of said switch points and adapted to yield under abnormalstrain due to the switch being forced, to thereby permit the switchpoints to move to an intermediate position, and serving to thereuponlock said switch points against subsequent movement under normal strainsfrom said intermediate position in either direction.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WALLACE M. GRAY;

